How Authoritarians Co-opt the Language of Religion: My Conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Tune in to my second in-depth conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat about authoritarianism and Christian nationalism.
Dear #WhiteTooLong subscribers,
I hope you all are finding some time to rest and recharge during these waning weeks of summer. In the recent episode of
Unscripted, Jemar, Diana, Kristin, and I talked about two things being simultaneously true: 1) That if we’re not feeling distress, it means we’ve become morally disengaged; and 2) That we need to be able to find time for mental, emotional, and spiritual recovery during these challenging days.In addition to finding a community of like-minded friends and fellow travelers (deeply grateful to the community here and at the Convocation Unscripted!), they key for me has been to remind myself that because I’m committed to the long game, stepping back from the news to recharge is healthy. Such a shift also gives us valuable perspective that we lose without such breaks.
So let me invite those of you in need of rest to take it, knowing you’re committed to coming back to the struggle with new energy and grit. We can each run our lap, pass the baton, and pick it up later.
As a reminder, my own posts may be a bit light over the next month—not because I’m stepping back but because I’m shifting energy from short-term to long-term writing. I’m working diligently to finish my next book: a collection of deeply personal essays on democracy and discipleship. The plan is to wrap the writing this fall and have it on the shelves fall of 2026. Stay tuned for updates along the way.
Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had a week ago with the brilliant Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the New York Times bestseller, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present (2020; paperback with a new epilogue, 2021), for her
newsletter readers. This conversation was the conclusion of a two-part conversation that started with many of you here on this newsletter. Check it out below.Onward,
Robby
How Authoritarians Co-opt the Language of Religion
ICYMI, here’s my previous conversation with Ruth from June.
Empathy and Solidarity are the Antidotes to Authoritarianism: My Conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of "Strongmen"
Thanks to all the paid WTL subscribers last night who joined me for the most recent WTL Author Salon. We had a rich conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. Her latest book, a New York Times bestseller,
The Latest from The Convocation Unscripted
Hot off the mic last Friday….
A million thanks as usual from me and have been hitting the brakes for a few weeks now. Much needed. Go well and do writing things !